While the majority of the Monte Sereno City Council failed to genuinely listen to their constituents when voting in their $300 monthly salary, I would urge the residents of the city not to sign the petition that calls for a special recall election.

Although I understand the issue is much more complex than a mere financial issue, the estimated $199,000 in special election costs would represent 663 “council months” or 55 “council years” to hit a break-even point relative to the $300 per month salary — even longer if you consider it basically replaces many of the council’s expense reports. Given the severe cutbacks our state is currently facing in critical social programs, that would be a financial and moral travesty.

While serving on the cultural commission, I had the honor of directly working with both Lana Malloy and Don Perry, and while I may disagree with this vote, one can not reasonably doubt their dedication to our small municipality.

It’s time that we all dial down these testosterone-laden arguments and focus on a flood of issues that are truly important, such as how do we prevent any future “Padgett-like” lawsuits from elevating to such ridiculous, time consuming and costly proportions?

For those of us who disagree with this new salary policy, we should simply continue to show up and express our views during council meetings and reconsider who we should support during future elections.

Philip Levine

Monte Sereno

Supporting the commitment to library

I applaud the commitment to our library that Mr. Sporleder expressed in his recent letter to the editor (“Resident urges others not to sign petitions,” June 9). We are fortunate indeed to have families such as his with deep roots in our community. It is yet another thing that makes Los Gatos so special.

Like him, I am not a member of the Friends of the Library but certainly a friend to our library. I must admit, though, I am in fact a “Johnny-come-lately” considering I have lived in Los Gatos for only seven years.

Please know that most of us recent additions to Los Gatos share Mr. Sporleder’s perspective on these petitions being circulated. While it may be that another “Johnny-come-lately” is the force behind these petitions, please don’t hold it against the rest of us newcomers.

It has been my experience that as soon as people learn the truth about who is behind these petitions, when they learn that it is the man who was the only town council member to vote “no” on the new library, when they find out that this man threatened to use the initiative process to force his will upon our community, when they realize that it was the same man who waited until he was off the town council before deciding that we needed term limits in town, and when they discover his ethics violations while on the town council, they don’t sign.

If we can only get the truth out to more people — before they are deceived by Mr. Glickman’s paid petition signature gatherers — we may be able yet to save our library.

Jonathan Knowles

Los Gatos

Council should move slowly on Boulevard

The automobile agencies on Los Gatos Boulevard are not a thing of beauty, but the buildings are small and unobtrusive. The many cars parked in the lots do not in any way block our views. I was surprised to read in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times that the proposed development at 15400 Los Gatos Blvd. to replace one of the agencies was so readily approved by the town council. The building seems massive for the piece of land and oddly placed too close to Los Gatos Boulevard and Gateway Drive.

Councilwoman Barbara Spector is exactly right. There will be many development decisions on Los Gatos Boulevard because of the loss of so many car dealerships. The planning commission had some reservations about the site and asked for some changes. The approval process should be slow, thoughtful and deliberate. Did the four council members who voted in favor of the Sand Hill Building walk the property and decide it was perfect for that property, or do they not care what happens to the development of this part of town? The council did ask for a sound barrier at the back of the property. Are we going to lose all those beautiful trees at the back of the property when a sound barrier is built?

Those of us who live near Los Gatos Boulevard hope the area will be developed tastefully. My memory tells me that both the council and the planning commission were very involved in the approval of the building that replaced the Los Gatos Auto Mall and asked for many changes. Although I’m sorry the building sits empty, I think it is good looking and an improvement over what it replaced.

Is anybody paying attention (especially The Sand Hill Property Company) to the fact that there is a large building with underground parking at 16185 Los Gatos Blvd. that has been completely empty since it was built more than a year ago? Does that leave one with the impression that we need 40,000 more square feet of office and retail space? Will Los Gatos Boulevard be flooded with large empty buildings? Will the traffic be even worse than it is now?

There are so many unanswered questions. Why don’t we take Barbara Spector’s advice and slow down. Let’s slow down development before there is a train wreck on Los Gatos Boulevard.

Rhodie Firth

Los Gatos

2nd Saturdays is a winner for Los Gatos

I want to thank the town of Los Gatos, the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce and more than 100 local merchants for developing, planning and carrying out the Second Saturdays event. I own a local retail business, and needless to say it’s been a challenging year.

I applaud the fact that when the economy is down and pessimism is up, the town reacts proactively to try to boost sales and enthusiasm around Los Gatos. The event was a huge success at my store, and I can’t wait for the next Second Saturday on July 11.

Theresa Whitney

Los Gatos

Theresa Whitney is the owner of Bells and Whistles, “Special Toys for Special Kids,” 35 W. Main St.

More than police speeding down University

I applaud the recent letter that calls attention to the police cruiser setting land speed records on University Avenue (“Police cruisers are speeding on University,” June 9). But I do take exception that it’s only the police who like to use the stretch of University between Highway 9 and Roberts for 0-60 mph time trials. Maybe the police go the fastest (well, they do have muscle cars), but they’re a minority of the soldiers in the University Avenue speed wars. (Sounds a bit like a Bruce Springsteen song, doesn’t it?) I live on University, very close to Highway 9, and do not understand how this flagrant disregard for the speed limit by others goes so unnoticed by the Los Gatos police. Frankly, this stretch of University is a fatal accident waiting to happen, given the limited visibility for people trying to simply get out of their driveways. Oh, and then there are the kids, and the pets, etc., not to mention bicyclists riding on the sidewalks (going the wrong way, no less).

Here are a few suggestions: put some radar traps on this street, especially during the afternoon commute times and the weekend afternoons; or put up a “your speed — speed limit” sign. And here’s something that was very successful in Campbell — take a squad car, put a mannequin in a Los Gatos police uniform behind the wheel and have it park along the street in plain sight. Just for fun, mix it up and sometimes use a real police officer.

But these suggestions will have only a temporary effect. This problem could be solved a couple of ways: install speed bumps like are used on other Los Gatos residential streets, or a three-way stop sign at University and Chester. I really don’t think this is going to cause a backup in any direction that doesn’t already exist today and may even give people who live on Chester (and other streets in that area) a fighting chance to make a left turn onto University without getting broadsided by a several tons of speeding metal.

Violent police encounters in California last year led to the deaths of 157 people and six officers, the state attorney general’s office said Thursday in a report that provides the first statewide tally on police use-of-force incidents.